Book of Thoth
Book of Thoth
An interpretation of the symbolism of the tarot cards written by Aleister Crowley toward the end of his life (1875-1974). In 1912 Crowley published "A Description of the Cards of the Tarot" in his biannual journal, Equinox (vol. 1, nos. 7-8), about the tarot cards of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Each member had to make a copy from the original deck, but it was not until Israel Regardie published a set of the Golden Dawn tarot cards in the 1980s that the pictures that Crowley was describing became available to the public.
In the 1940s Crowley wrote a commentary on the tarot, which carried the Egyptian symbolism that had come to dominate the thelemic magic system he had developed. He teamed with artist Frieda Harris to create a new deck of tarot cards. The commentary, The Book of Thoth, was published in 1944. The Book of Thoth was released as Vol. 3, no. 5, of the Equinox. It is part of the standard curriculum for members of the OTO.
Sources:
Crowley, Aleister. The Book of Thoth. New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974.