Rosanne
Richard Cavendish wrote in his book 'The Tarot' first published in 1975 the following which may have bearing on this reconciling of Crowley to the Thoth Deck.
Oswald Wirth said...
Back to Cavendish...
Apparently there are two ways to investigate what Tarot means.
1. Look at the cards and see what they suggest, allow your mind to wander around while ideas and associations come to the surface, which leads to a construction of a system.
2. Start with a system and fit the cards into it. This is a more rigid approach or uncompromising because you have a preconceived pattern.
Now according to Cavendish the second way means sometimes forcing the symbolism to make them fit the system and when they have done so the claim is that the true and meant meaning has now been found- which everyone else before and not using the 'system' was too blind to see.
Now it seems to me although Freida Harris had a system and painted to it (Crowley's Book) it was not what Crowley originally thought would be needed- so inherent in this thought is the idea it is perfectly possible to use method 1. as Harris's paintings were her original visions.
So as I said earlier I do not need to read Crowley (although I have) to use her beautiful deck. Nor do I need Crowley techniques to harness the secret powers of Tarot images seeking to influence events for my own purpose. (Magick) I may come to the same conclusions as Crowley or I may not- but it does not matter to me. I form my own system.
~Rosanne
Crowley, although unique in many ways, it seems to me has done the same thing- drawn on ingredients to search for the truth according to his path.Explanations of cards have drawn on an immense quantity of material- gnostic, cabalistic, alchemical,astrological, mythological, Christian, Theosophical, Jungian and ingredients from different systems are blended together in search for the truth thought to be hidden behind all traditions.
Oswald Wirth said...
This is what seems to have happened to Freida Harris as she painted the deck. She had the visions which she translated with paint. It was Harris not Crowley who suggested the redesigning of traditional images and that Crowley write a book about it. Crowley wanted to use any best available deck- but Harris insisted upon painting new Tarot images. She even paid him to teach her magick- which leaves me to wonder- who was the driving force here? Harris insisted Crowley not be at the paintings exhibitions and his name does not appear on any programmes apparently. (Duquette)A symbol can always be studied from an infinite number of points of view, and each thinker has the right to discover in the symbols new meaning corresponding to the logic of his own conceptions. Symbols are intended to awaken ideas sleeping in our consciousness. They arouse a thought by means of suggestion and thus cause the Truth which lies hidden in the depths of our spirit to reveal itself.
Back to Cavendish...
Apparently there are two ways to investigate what Tarot means.
1. Look at the cards and see what they suggest, allow your mind to wander around while ideas and associations come to the surface, which leads to a construction of a system.
2. Start with a system and fit the cards into it. This is a more rigid approach or uncompromising because you have a preconceived pattern.
Now according to Cavendish the second way means sometimes forcing the symbolism to make them fit the system and when they have done so the claim is that the true and meant meaning has now been found- which everyone else before and not using the 'system' was too blind to see.
Now it seems to me although Freida Harris had a system and painted to it (Crowley's Book) it was not what Crowley originally thought would be needed- so inherent in this thought is the idea it is perfectly possible to use method 1. as Harris's paintings were her original visions.
So as I said earlier I do not need to read Crowley (although I have) to use her beautiful deck. Nor do I need Crowley techniques to harness the secret powers of Tarot images seeking to influence events for my own purpose. (Magick) I may come to the same conclusions as Crowley or I may not- but it does not matter to me. I form my own system.
~Rosanne