Aleister Crowley Tarot
By Paul Allenbach
Welcome to Paul Allenbach's addition to the Old Art - New Age Internet Resource.
We hope that you can gain insight from his experiences!
We hope that you can gain insight from his experiences!
Aleister Crowley was an infamous magician who became dissatisfied with the Rider-Waite deck. He decided to develop a new deck based on the Rider deck. Thus developed (in my opinion) the best tarot deck ever developed. Crowley used the same names for the cards (with the exception of two) only repainted the images on those cards. With Lady Frieda Harris's artistic styling, a new deck was born. Crowley also developed new readings of the cards and new symbols to be included in the paintings. This deck is a masterpiece.
Anyone who is interested in Aleister Crowley's deck should first buy Gerd Ziegler's "Tarot: Mirror of the Soul". In this book, Ziegler describes, in detail, every card in the deck with possible interpretations and key meanings. Included are suggestions for further study and affirmations. This book will be a handy supplement to your tarot reading experiences.
If you decide to use Crowley's tarot, when you purchase your deck, make sure that it "feels right". Hold the cards in your hand and test their weight. I have seen two different sizes of cards, one small (about 4" x 5") and another larger version (6" x 7"). You should buy the size that fits perfectly into your hand.
After you get home, take the deck out of the box. Say a prayer over your cards asking the higher powers to bless you and your deck. Place your deck, wrapped in a coloured cloth, in a wooden chest. Store your deck in this fashion when not in use.
Some people wonder if one should lend his/her deck. NO! After awhile, you will begin to notice that your deck will develop a personality closely tied to yours. The cards will give you false readings if you loan them to other people as sort of a punishment.
Whatever deck you choose to use in your readings, tarot is a wonderful tool for personal growth. Using tarot, you will learn about new dimensions of yourself that you never thought existed. Soon you will develop into a new, better person. Your cards will point the way.