Explore Three Centuries of Vital Tarot Texts by Leading Authorities on Western Magic Featuring invaluable essays written by prominent occultists from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, this must-have collection presents the fascinating evolution of Tarot as a magical tool. Renowned occult scholar Donald Tyson has edited and annotated these works, and he offers his full English translation of two Tarot essays from Antoine Court de Gébelin's Monde Primitif. This compendium also provides, for the first time anywhere, a complete understanding of the essays on the English Method of playing card divination, an important precursor to reading Tarot's suit cards. Essential Tarot Writings reveals where many of our fundamental assumptions about the Tarot come from, including card meanings, Hebrew and Kabbalistic correspondences, and how the cards are used in ceremonial magic. All of the essays are connected by each century's understanding of Tarot and the influences these great thinkers had on one another. Showcasing esteemed writers like the Comte de Mellet, S. L. MacGregor Mathers, J. W. Brodie-Innes, and A. E. Waite, this resource gives you a comprehensive overview of the evolution of Tarot in Western magic.

Arthur E. Waite and artist Pamela Colman Smith's Rider-Waite Tarot (1909) is the most popular Tarot in the world. Today, it is affectionately referred to as the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot in recognition of the high quality of Smith's contributions. Waite and Smith's deck has become the gold standard for identifying and analyzing contemporary Tarot and other meditation decks based on archetypes. Developments in both visual and literary history and theory have influenced Tarot since its fifteenth-century invention as a game and subsequent adaptations for esotericism, cartomancy, and meditation. This analysis consider Tarot in relation to established modern and postmodern art movements, such as Symbolism, Surrealism, and Pattern and Decoration Art, as well as the concepts and theories informing both the dominance and the dissolution of the modernist "grid" and hierarchical priorities. This work also explores the close connection between Tarot and the invention of the literary novel and includes new material on the representation of Tarot in film and fiction. A new chapter addresses the growing influence of the archetypal "shadow" and "shadow work" on Tarot as an artistic form, narrative genre, and practice in the new millennium.

This book is a spiritual journey of self-discovery for those open-minded and willing to embrace the truth, even if it means confronting deep-rooted false beliefs inherited from our ancestors. It is a call to step out of the comfort of blissful ignorance and into the light of personal enlightenment. Ignoring the truth may provide temporary solace, but it can lead to greater despair and fear in the long term. This existential gap is usually filled with religions, myths, and legends; however, these stories may not be entirely factual. Nevertheless, they provide solace and a sense of purpose in life, so they are often considered well-intentioned, pious fiction. Many desire to know the truth, but few are genuinely prepared to handle it. This book challenges many core beliefs and convictions held as accurate; it may lead to existential conflict. As King Solomon wisely said, “For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief” (Ecclesiastes 1:18). These words resonate with the essence of this book, inviting you to embark on a journey of self-discovery and truth-seeking. It highlights the transformative potential of this process, as those who can confront the truth honestly undergo a psychological catharsis—a liberation of erroneous assumptions. Thus, this book is not for the faint of heart. More than 2,500 years ago, Buddha stated that life is an illusion, and today’s most accurate science, quantum physics, asserts that we live in virtual reality. The truth can challenge our deepest convictions and induce confusion because we live based on false assumptions imposed by our ancestors, mass media, outdated education systems, and traditional erroneous beliefs.

Level Up Your Tarot Readings with Your Own Psychic Abilities Drawing on decades of experience as a professional reader, bestselling author Mat Auryn presents a comprehensive guide to unlocking your psychic potential. He shows you how to unite traditional tarot techniques and your own intuition, enhancing your readings with astounding levels of accuracy and insight. With 78 exercises, meditations, and rituals accessible for all practitioners, The Psychic Art of Tarot provides step-by-step instructions for understanding your unique psychic style and mastering an array of skills. Explore the arts of mediumship, soul alignment, auras, energy work, scrying, and more. Praised by Tarot: No Questions Asked author Theresa Reed as "an instant classic for tarot and psychic development," this book will unveil new dimensions of your practice. Includes a foreword by Rachel True, actress and author of True Heart Intuitive Tarot

Vocalize the Spiritual Energy of Breath for Potent Magic Cultures around the world and throughout history recognize the human breath as the seat of spirit. The chi of the Chinese, the ruach of the Hebrews, the pneuma of the Greeks, and the spiritus of the Romans refer to the same thing—the invisible energy that permeates the breath. Now, with this book's in-depth study, you can maximize the potential of this energy in your magic. Esteemed magician Donald Tyson presents an advanced look at how to compose your own incantations, use words and names of power, control the living breath, and more. He shows you the inherent potency of vibrating words and vowels, providing numerous examples from historical texts and occult practice. Tyson presents a wide variety of spells for healing, love, and protection. He also shares enchantments for herbs, potions, wands, and even people. From binding the wind through knot magic to using alliteration and repetition, this book balances scholarship and practical workings so you can maximize the potential of breath and voice in your practice.

From Cleopatra to Chaos Magic: A Vibrant, Epic History of Occultism in Thought and Practice In his most sweeping historical work, occult scholar and widely known voice of esoteric ideas Mitch Horowitz presents a lively, intellectually serious historical exploration of modern occultism, from astrology and alchemy to the dawn of Theosophy and modern witchcraft—and the spiritual revolutions that followed. In this lively, full-circle history, Mitch explores: Preservation of “hidden wisdom” in late-ancient Hermeticism. Rebirth of esoterica during the Renaissance, including Kabbalah, ceremonial magick, alchemy, Gnosticism—and the backlash culminating in the Thirty Years’ War. Rise of the modern “secret society,” such as Rosicrucians, Freemasons, and Illuminati. Migration of religious radicalism to the New World, including how enslaved people devised the magickal system of hoodoo. Wave of occultism ignited by John Dee, the Romantics, Franz Anton Mesmer, Eliphas Lévi, and P.B. Randolph. The revolution brought by occult explorer Madame H.P. Blavatsky. Growth of New Thought and mind metaphysics. How fin de siècle scientists devised clinical protocols to study the supernatural. Occult influences in politics: a delicate topic weighed maturely. Heterodox movements and figures such as The Process Church, TOPY, Michael Aquino, and Anton LaVey. Pioneering voices including Manly P. Hall, Aleister Crowley, Rudolf Steiner, Edgar Cayce, Carl Jung, Gerald Gardner, Jack Parsons, Annie Besant, G.I. Gurdjieff, Alice Bailey, Austin Osman Spare, and Carlos Castaneda. Surprising occult influences on wide-ranging modern icons such as Frederick Douglass, Sigmund Freud, and Isaac Newton. How models of interdimensionality are loosening the hold of materialism on modern thought.

Tarot cards have been around since the Renaissance and have become increasingly popular in recent years, often due to their prevalence in popular culture. While Tarot means many different things to many different people, the cards somehow strike universal chords that can resonate through popular culture in the contexts of art, television, movies, even comic books. The symbolism within the cards, and the cards as symbols themselves, make Tarot an excellent device for the media of popular culture in numerous ways. They make horror movies scarier. They make paintings more provocative. They provide illustrative structure to comics and can establish the traits of television characters. The Cards: The Evolution and Power of Tarot begins with an extensive review of the history of Tarot from its roots as a game to its supposed connection to ancient Egyptian magic, through its place in secret societies, and to its current use in meditation and psychology. This section ends with an examination of the people who make up today’s tarot community. Then, specific areas of popular culture—art, television, movies, and comics—are each given a chapter in which to survey the use of Tarot. In this section, author Patrick Maille analyzes such works as Deadpool, Books of Magic by Neil Gaiman, Disney's Haunted Mansion, Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows, The Andy Griffith Show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and King of the Hill. The cards are evocative images in their own right, but the mystical fascination they inspire makes them a fantastic tool to be used in our favorite shows and stories.

This is an illustrated collection of 14 essays on a variety of occult-themed topics, covering the full spectrum of classic esoteric and related subjects, which include hermeticism, alchemy, magic, the Kabbalah, ancient wisdom and philosophy, the Tarot, Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, Theosophy and spiritualism, by some of the most notable and prominent names in the history of those subjects. Compiled specifically with the student in mind. Writers include Manly P. Hall, Arthur Edward Waite, Helena P. Blavatsky, Roger Bacon, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, G. R. S. Mead, W. N. Neill, Mohini M. Chatterji, Jessie Horne, William Q. Judge, Albert G. Mackey, and P. W. Bullock.

Have you always been fascinated by the esoteric and mysterious world of the Tarot? Would you like to delve deeper and learn more about the divinatory art and how to use it to your advantage to catch signs about our future in advance? There are so many psychic people, so many fortune-tellers and a variety of astrologers who try to grasp the future ahead of us using different tools. Are they really all charlatans or is there some truth to it? In parascientific parlance, the ability to be able to "read the future" is not an innate gift only of vati, soothsayers and clairvoyants, but a power that can be assimilated with the awareness of one's intuitive qualities. You have undoubtedly happened to think you had a "sixth sense" about something that then occurred soon after. Your presumption that you got it right has always actually implied a genuine free expression of precognition. Don't be influenced by what others think! Give yourself a chance to understand if you perceive something. Beginning with the historical origins of tarot, how it developed, and what task and meaning it takes on today, this book will offer you a complete step-by-step full-color Guide to interpreting what lies behind each card, from the iconography and allegory of the Major Arcana, to the numerology and symbolism of the Minor Arcana. HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL FIND INSIDE THE BOOK: ▪ Historical origins and characteristics of tarot cards. ▪ What task they perform in fortune-telling ▪ The 22 cards of the Major Arcana: a detailed guide to the archetypal meanings and specific correlation in the presence of the four different minor suits. ▪ The 56 cards of the Minor Arcana: four suits, four elements, four pentacles from 1 to 10. Revelation of their general expression and characteristics in brief in relation to the majors. ▪ The interpretation of the uncovered tarot cards: straight card and reversed card. ▪ How to turn the cards: the wrong ways and the correct way. ▪ The main methods of reading - The "Games": Game of Tomorrow, Game of Yes and No, Game of Love but also more complex ones such as the Game of the Fan or the Gypsy Methodology. ▪ Useful tips, the ritual of consecration and much more! Reveal what's in store for you! Buy the most complete and illustrated Tarot Tome today!

Originally published in 2003, Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot has proved to be the essential guide to accessing the unique symbolism and meaning of Aleister Crowley's remarkable tarot deck along with the deeply textured artwork of Lady Frieda Harris. Crowley authority Lon Milo DuQuette starts by providing an insightful historical background before delving into descriptions of each card in depth, from a tarot perspective and from an expanded, magickal point of view. He first describes the tarot meaning of each card in detail and then explains all the other attributions Crowley intended. This unique guide has been updated with a new introduction that provides information on the unicursal hexagram cards included with the deck but never explained. Replaces ISBN 9781578632763