book/books by A E Waite

Hello

Today Igot 'Key to the Tarot' by Waite.

To be honest I was dissapointed by the paucity of information in there.

I have also seen 'The pictorial key to the tarot'.
Are they thesame book? Did he do any others that might have more explanation in?

I am very much a beginner with th RWS, but I thought he would have had more to say than was in the book.

Any comments?

they are the same book, released in 1910 and 1911... I believe the only difference is the second book has pictures of the cards... Waite is very wordy and appears to hide his true inturpretation of the cards. He took his oath of secrecy seriously. Try reading the 78 Degrees of Wisdom. There's a pretty good review posted at this site, here: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/books/78-degrees-of-wisdom/

Thanks. I'll have to look out forthat.

At the momment I am trying to get the Paul Foster Case book. I don't know anything about it really, but I am looking into the 'old' tarot designers/writers, from the golden dawn type groups/time.

One of the most obvious irritations with the Waite book was in his bit on 'Justice' where he talks about changing it's number. He says that he is happy with it, but it is no concern to anyone else.
Now, I know, as do most, why the switch took place, but it is irritating the way he implies that he knows stuff that he won't tell. (of course, he does, but that's not the point)

snore .....

Waite's "The Key to the Tarot" is boring as hell! It is written in that boring lexicon of a hundred years ago, and his terminology is dreadful! I paraphrased a section of it to use in the 'Combinations' section of my book, and I had to first determine exactly what his one-word description was supposed to mean, then scour a thesaurus to try to find something that was more modern useage to make it understandable. It's almost as if Waite wrote the book to throw you off track ... and it works rather well in that instance.

I can see you're on the same path I took, sorry to hear it because it's a long and winding path but very illuminating. You'll need to study Waite's interpretation of Levi, probably his strongest influence... also read the writings of Mathers and Westcott. Most importantly, read Crowley and Regardie... You might not like Crowley but he reveals the secrets of the GD better than the Golden Dawn faithful. You can start with these online issues of his bianual mag the Equinox: http://www.the-equinox.org/ BTW, you didn't need to buy books by Waite, they're right here: http://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm, as are some of the other writers I've meantioned.

Good books

Hi Guys,

Would really like to recommend... "The Tarot Revealed" by Paul Fenton-Smith, 1995.

It's a great simple book that doesn't confuse the subject... definitely worth it.

Happy Tarot Travels!
Leopard!

Hello Folks.

Thanks for all the advice.

I think I mayhave given the wrong impression to some of you. I am a long time Tarotist and follower of the occult path.
I am only a beginner to the RWSdeck. I had alwaysdismissed it in the past as to twee, to christian influenced and with horrible backs. (I have this real fetish about card backs, and the RWS has always reminded me of a really horrible table cloth!)

The Thoth is, and always has been, my main deck. Crowleys writings are very familiar to me, as are those of other occultists, both ancient and modern.

I decided a while back that as the RWS was the most popular and influential deck I really should not be so prejudiced against it.
I have therefore found a deck that I expect to have nicer backs, (When, if ever, it gets to me from across the pond) and have begun looking into it as an entity in itself.
I had expected Waite to deal with thesymbolism in his deck as fully as the Book of Thoth deals with Crowleys.
I was dissapointed. Wordy and pompous are two discriptions that sprang to mind. Bereft of any serious content was another.
But such is life. I will have to see what Case has to say on the subject.

Which deck did you order, Universal Waite? If so, you'll probably find the card fronts better too. By refining (not changing) the Smith line drawings and using softer colors, Roberts captures facial expressions and subtle symbolism not apparant in the standard RWS (table cloth) deck.

No, I could have got that any where.
I have a liking for old decks, so I picked up a 'university books' RWS.
I think it should have the ankh on the back.

I've been waiting ages.
So long in fact that I have started to worry.
I will never buy anything from America again, no matter how good the exchange rate!

I don't like the pics I've seen of the 'original' I don't like the green.
The colours on the ankh one look really bright and nice.

Hopefully I'll find out soon.
Touch wood, fingers crossed etc!

I too have a liking for old and historic decks... please tell me more about the RWS you ordered. Is it a replica of an older press-run like the Original Waite claims to portray?