Hermetic Tarot

[Scion]

Now that you guys are talking about the Hermetic: are there any good books to go with this deck?

I think you could treat Wang's Qabalistic Tarot as a companion text for this deck easily. The entire focus of the book is the hermetic Qabalah of the Golden Dawn and the exact symbol set upon which Dawson was drawing.

Go for Wang, Mariana! Wait! I'm sending it to you. I just realized what I'd said. You'll have your companion text shortly.

 

[Mariana]

Wait! I'm sending it to you. I just realized what I'd said. You'll have your companion text shortly.

That's right!

Some of these are only available in French, but many of them have modern English translations.

And since I happen to be one of those continental Europeans who can read several languages, including French, that's very welcome information too!

*goes off to renegotiate a trade for a Hermetic that she'd decided against*

 

[BrightEye]

Thanks for all the suggestions, especially for books to read with the deck, and thanks Abrac for taking the time to scan those cards. Much appreciated.

I wonder whether this is a deck that needs an awful lot of book study or whether you'd get a lot out of it just by studying the cards themselves.

 

[Abrac]

I have just finished reading DuQuette's companion book for his Tarot of Ceremonial Magick. I saw it in a shop and thought it looked interesting so I bought it with the idea of re-selling it. When I got it home and started reading I discovered it is a treasure trove of useful information, not only for his deck, but the Hermetic Tarot and Crowley's Thoth, especially with regard to the minor arcana. For example, each of the Hermetic minors 2-10 have two Hebrew words on it. Sometimes they are hidden and you have to look close to find them. These represent two angels of the Shemhamphorash. Each major arcana has one similar Hebrew word which I suspect are also angels but they don't seem to correspond with Duquette. They might be from the Golden Dawn. Anyway, this is great book for not only the Hermetic, but Crowley's Thoth. Lots of info.!

Edit: There is a mandala in this book that shows clearly how all of the Tarot cards correspond to wheel of the Zodiac, something about the Hermetic system that has always baffled me. Now it makes perfect sense.

 

[Abrac]

Ooo...here we go. The names on the majors appear to be the Geomantic Intelligences. There is a list in Crowley's 777. In my copy it is on page 35.

Edit: It appears that the correspondences for the minors is also in 777, pages 24 & 25 at the bottom.

 

[Aeon418]

The design of the Hermetic majors seems, for the most part, to be quite faithful to the descriptions given in column CLXXXI in 777 (p.34)

For example, The Magician - line 12

A fair youth with winged helmet and heels, equiped as a Magician displays his art.

 

[Abrac]

Yes, I didn't even notice the descriptions. The tables on pages 34 & 35 look like they go together with all of the correspondences right there. Some of the cards look like the descriptions but others don't at all. I like Crowley's description of Death: "Skeleton with scythe mowing men." Succinct and to the point.

 

[Aeon418]

The tables on pages 34 & 35 look like they go together with all of the correspondences right there.

There are additional notes to column CLXXXI on p.145 - 146. The very last section, bottom right-hand side on p.145 is the Fool. The other 20 cards are on the next page.