The Hermetic Tarot: Secrets of the Golden Dawn, Esoteric Symbolism, Kabbalistic Tree of Life, Astrological Correspondences, 78 Tarot Cards

Brilliant deck. Very steeped in mystery & there’s just so many layers to the symbolism. I’ve always wanted a black and white tarot deck, so I’m glad I chose this to be my first! I may update this review, but for now I find that I really connect to this deck. The images are very detailed. You may be disappointed in the art, if you’re not into what seems to be more like “sketches” of a scene or character. Therefore, they aren’t totally clean looking which does something to trigger the psyche I think. And you know, disclaimer: this isn’t a deck that’s why I would call as a “gentle friend”. It’s heavier than it looks as far as diving into truth. That’s probably why I like it, since I’m not looking for something totally new-age-y & fluffy. You can use this for both the light & dark of readings for you or other people. But like every deck, you’ll know if you connect with it or not. It can take time, while other times - it’s just not for you! So to each their own. Also: I may update this review at a later date!

This is one of the most exciting “package day” moments in my life! I have waited two years to purchase this deck, being that I was a beginner and this deck is NOT FOR BEGINNERS. Two of the cards has a different name than the Rider-Waite deck- the world card is the universe, the strength card is fortitude, and... there’s not a page of each suit, but a princess instead. Several of the cards have the same names but an added word, such as the Judgement card, it’s the LAST judgement. The fool card is the FOOLISH MAN. The tower card is the BLASTED tower. The names of the cards being different, other than possibly the Princesses and the Fortitude, shouldn’t affect your ability to read the cards. The cards do have one thing to help with knowing which sign the card represents, which I thought was helpful. The sign’s symbol will be on the card. In the left hand corner of the major arcana cards, you’ll see a designated letter of the Hebrew alphabet. There’s so much symbolism in this deck, which gives a more in-depth, accurate reading. Speaking of ease in this deck, the booklet is PACKED FULL OF IMPORTANT INFORMATION that will help you understand the cards. I was surprised to find this valuable information. I am at the beginning of the booklet, but I already learned so much. The Tree of Life diagram is on page 70 though, not page 72. The booklet only has 70 pages. That was one of two misprints I have already found, but trust me, you can overlook that. I am just starting page 17, the major arcana cards, so once I am done with this booklet, I’ll be sure to update my review. Not only does the booklet teach you how to use this deck, it also teaches you how to read tarot PERIOD. Pages 64-69 show you how to do a Celtic Cross spread. This is a must have deck to add to your collection. You will not regret it! Oh, and my deck was wrapped with clear wrap, like a deck of playing cards, and inside the deck, the actual cards and booklet were wrapped too, giving them plenty of protection. I am actually going to do a reading before I finish the booklet, because I’m too excited not to, lol, and when I gathered the cards to shuffle, I remembered to mention that each of the cards has a description at the bottom. I mentioned the Hebrew letter on each of the major arcana cards, but notice the elements on the tops of the court cards. The suits of the minor arcana shows symbols for the planet and sign for each of the cards. You’ll see what I’m referring to in the three cards in the photo that’s one before the last. 1.) In the LOVERS CARD, notice the symbol to the left (top), the Hebrew letter V(there’s 22 in the diagram of the Tree of Life on page 70). The letter you’d have to look up to match the word in the diagram, unless it’s later mentioned. UPDATE: I SCREENSHOT THE PHOTO I FOUND ON PINTEREST THAT INCLUDES THE HEBREW LETTERS. The right side has the number of the card. You’ll see that this card has the Gemini symbol under the serpent’s mouth. Refer to the first page for symbols. There’s other symbols you’ll find in reference books, which I plan to purchase. At the bottom of the card, the description says CHILDREN OF THE BOICE DEVINE. 2.) The KNIGHT OF PENTACLES card has two symbols at the top. You probably already know those stand for elements- fire and earth. In the middle of the card, the first symbol looks like Leo, but it’s North Node and the second one is Virgo, which is interesting. You’ll see that the description says LORD OF THE WILD AND FERTILE LAND. 3.) the TEN OF WANDS card has no symbols at the top, because it’s a card in the suits of the minor arcana. The symbol below that area, in the middle, means SATURN. I do not know what the words on either side say/mean. The symbol straight below Saturn, close to the bottom of the card, is Sagittarius, my moon sign. The description says LORD OF OPPRESSION. I HAVE NOTICED THE SYMBOL,ON ALL OF THE CARDS, THAT RESEMBLES THE SATURN SYMBOL, BUT NOT CAME ACROSS THE SYMBOL ANYWHERE YET, TO SAY WHAT IT IS OR MEANS...YET. I WILL CONTINUE TO UDDATE MY REVIEW TO HELP THOSE WANTING TO PURCHASE THE DECK, AND ONES THAT NEED HELP UNDERSTANDING THEIR DECK. Plus, it helps me learn as I study to depict the information for this review. The Major Arcana Cards, if you can’t read the numbers in Roman numerals: 0 The Foolish Man 1 The Magician 2 The High Priestess 3 The Empress 4 The Emperor 5 The Hierophant 6 The Lovers 7 The Chariot 8 Fortitude 9 The Hermit 10 The Wheel of Fortune 11 Justice 12 The Hanged Man 13 Death 14 Temperance 15 The Devil 16 The Blasted Tower 17 The Star 18 The Moon 19 The Sun 20 The Last Judgement 21 The Universe

You can see the inspirations from Aleister Crowley and Arthur Edward Waite, but I'm happy to report that this isn't a clone of either deck. You can definitely tell Godfrey Dowson made up his own interpretations of the workings of the Golden Dawn. This easily reached the top three favorites of mine that I use on a daily basis. The art, in my opinion, is pretty awful, but I'm more about practicality than beauty when it comes to tarot: there's a million beautiful decks out there but they're all Waite clones so they don't mean anything. Rarely does anyone create a deck from scratch and sell that, rarer still it's beautiful. These cards are easy for me to read and interpret. They give off a pleasant energy, like a dear old friend you've known your whole life. This deck feels reliable and kind. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get into tarot, although this might be a bit more advanced for some. You do need to study the Golden Dawn, or at the very least get familiar with alchemical elements, astrology, and the kabbalah, even at a cursory understanding (not that I'm saying it's easy, lol, as it is a secret order, but there's plenty of resources out there that touch on such teachings. Lon Milo DuQuette would be an easier place to start). This deck doesn't hold your hand as much as Waite's version does, as the pips don't include humans, but the actions of the hands in each give you a good starting point. I like the court cards, as each king, knight, princess and queen are surrounded by symbolism that makes it way easier to understand than Waite's version, which is sick with "man sitting on throne" syndrome, with not much indication of who he or she is. As for the physical aspect to this deck, I love how smooth they are. Incredibly easy to shuffle. And just the right size for my small hands. Cards pop out with ease. Update Sept 1 2024: I've returned to tell you that this is my favorite deck. I don't even use my other decks anymore because this one is just that good. I love how unique it is and how much depth it has within. Every pip tells you what sign and planet it's associated with which, from even just an astrological point of view, makes it easy to understand. Every court card, minus the princesses, include what zodiac sign it corresponds with, which provides an extra layer of information for the reader. This deck feels as though it doesn't hold anything back from you. If anything is hidden, it's in plain sight. All you have to do is study it. The little booklet it came with is helpful, but personally, I'd rather have a fully fleshed out book to explain what's going on. I like keywords for quick reference, but sometimes a card stumps me and I need some help. I'm Hellenic pagan. This deck is kabbalistic, which is Jewish. So the Hebrew within and the sephiroth pass over my head, even if I've studied them a little bit. Even if "Hermetic" is tied to the God Hermes, there's nothing very Greek about the deck, other than the Magician, which features Hermes. Despite that, it feels like this deck speaks of a God I don't interact with, which makes me not want to study further than I already have. So I mostly rely on my intuition from the images, as well as my knowledge on astrology. I see my Gods within this deck in some aspects, so I don't feel like I'm completely in a foreign land. Hermeticism is based on Hermes' teachings, I understand that, but with all the Hebrew and kabbalistic symbolism, it feels more like a Jewish study of Hermes, not so much a worship of Hermes. I do feel his presence in the deck, however, and I think that's how it's my go-to deck. I wouldn't want to use any other deck because most decks just lack depth or there's a weird political undertone to it that pulls me out of my emersion completely. Tarot is beyond human affairs, so including politics defeats the purpose. The hermetic tarot takes itself seriously and focuses squarely on the divine and our spiritual path. It makes me think inward in such a way that no other deck has accomplished.

Usually I see the Rider-Waite type of art work on Tarot cards. I had acquired a Unicorn deck during my studies but I found the art work to be kind of... distracting. It does not match the mood of my craft. After much research into all the various decks I decided upon this one. The black & white, intricately drawn figures sort of "called out" to me. I also am quite fond of the deep red box it comes in. I was weary of this purchase because some of the reviews complained about badly drawn images, pixelation & crudely cut decks. The pack I received had none of these issues. It arrived brand new, sealed & in a timely manner as well. Someone mentioned that the art work looked like something from a Led Zeppelin album. I think that is why it is so unique & fabulous as a deck. You can see quite plainly in the photos on Amazon that the figures were meant to be drawn in such a manner. It is marvelous to look at each card & depict the individual sigils, symbols & messages. I love little details. Since there is a lot going on in each so it might be over whelming for some users. I highly recommend this deck, especially with such an affordable price!

It's absolutely gorgeous and powerful. This deck is PACKED with symbolism, detail, history, and personality. It called to me immediately, as I've been studying Hermeticism, magic, Golden Dawn, and the Tree of Life. I've read before that this isn't a beginner's deck, but I 100% disagree. This is my first deck and I couldn't be happier. This IS a serious deck, and in my opinion, not meant for intuitive just-tell-me-something-nice readings. Which I appreciate. The cards are deliberate, and meant to convey specific meanings. As a beginner, I find all the detailed symbolism perfect for learning, perfect for getting in tune with the cards, and perfect for being able to interpret them. You can pick a card and research/analyze all the correspondences, angel names, symbols etc for a good view of what the card means and is telling you. I love this deck; the quality is nice, the artwork is amazing, the depth of the cards is second to none, and the price can't be beat. Cheers!

This is an excellent deck for many reasons. I would rate it with five stars, had there not been four cards which clearly were not printed correctly. As others have observed, U.S. Games Systems won't be winning any prizes for Quality Assurance...my deck also has an odd "cut" which leaves an unexpected small "ridge" atop the cards. I suppose this can be carefully sanded and smoothed, but I've been working with the deck "as is". I would think some damage had occurred to the master plates for the deck which caused the glaring imperfections appearing on some of the printed cards, except for the fact that there are those people who've written reviews stating that the decks they received showed none of the anomalies I and many others have observed. This is, without question, one of the most beautiful and intricately illustrated decks I've ever encountered. What's more, it is an excellent tool for learning Hermetics and moreover expresses the planetary and zodiacal associations with particular cards and in many cases provides the Hebrew numbers and name translations. The cards reference Kabbalistic elements and in some cases, geomantic patterns. There is a great deal to be gleaned from this deck, as it is not "simplified" and thoroughly challenges the novice to become well-versed in Hermetics. The other great resource I've found, which requires much more active work and participation, is Franz Bardon's masterpiece "Initiation in Hermetics". I've come to think of this deck as a form of sophisticated Flash Cards, wherein one must sit and learn to recognize all the information being expressed in each card. I do in fact recommend that one reads the small manual accompanying the deck only *after* they've studied each of the cards and questioned what it is they are seeing. Mastery of Hermetics entails many actions: one must learn self-reliance and pay attention to the details. I've long believed the expression "the devil is in the details" is one to be taken seriously. Although I do not believe in The Devil, at all...it is just that we are apt to run into problems and frustration when we overlook even some tiny detail and do not have all the facts. Regarding this deck, a mystery one is seeking to unravel may remain a mystery if any part of the card is not acknowledged and understood by the viewer. Mastery of Hermetics also requires mastery of patience and solitary time put to good use. This deck is an excellent tool for practicing meditation and becoming better at looking inward while making accurate connections to outer energies. Thus, it is a stone bummer that in my deck, the "Fortitude", "Seven of Swords", "Princess of Cups" and "Two of Pentacles" are filled with artifacts and/or blank spots, are printed sufficiently off-center that the right-hand side of a card has a portion of the image cropped. These are the ones which stand out as truly sloppy printing. Much of the rest of the deck lacks real clarity, which is especially noted in the slightly "fuzzy" look of the Hebrew characters. I study the cards, regardless. I didn't and won't return the deck, as it seems likely I'll get a replacement as bad or worse than the one I've got. Even though the deck is not expensive, this does not mean it deserves slipshod reproduction. Quite the opposite is true when such intricacy of line drawings and so much information resides within the image(s) on each card. I'm considering it might be worth scanning in the cards, doing a bit of cleanup and changing contrast and brightness for each of the cards that is "off" in some way and reprinting an improved copy of the deck for myself. Although I believe I can see every detail, even on the four really badly reproduced cards, it may be that some things are being obscured and I'm missing something important that is not appropriately visible. My deck has the legend (c) 1979, 2006 US Games Systems, Inc printed along the lower right edge. Does this mean the entire 2006 print run shows errors? As for any complaint about the Master Plates "being old" or "needing replacement", this seems implausible. It appears to me that each card was captured in a digital photograph and, because someone did not understand graphics file formats, either chose to export and print JPEG images (well, duh) or exported bitmaps and then resized the bitmap to fit the card surface, which is, politely stated, a no-no. I'll get around to uploading digital images A.S.A.P. At his point I think no one will argue that U.S. Games Systems has screwed up royally and ought not have shipped this "run" out for public consumption. If this had been defective lettuce, children's toys or the majority of Toyotas, the decks would have been recalled and every purchaser issued and apology and a free replacement deck with cards that look as Godfrey Dowson intended.

Unique and Inspiring Tarot. Godfrey Dowson provides evocative Illustrations and visionary images, flowing with magical symbolism from Qabala, Astrology, Alchemy, and Hermetic traditions. Follows the schema of correspondences given via the Golden Dawn in Liber Theta, later published in The Equinox Vol 1, No. 8: “A Description of the Cards of the Tarot.” (A.*.A.*. Liber LXXVIII {78} ). These tables give another viewpoint on the Tarot compared to the late Crowley work "Book of Thoth" (The Equinox, Volume III, No. 5), and the famous "Thoth Tarot". This is a very deep artistic and magical alternative (or complement) to the popular "Thoth Tarot". Black and White Art gives room to the imagination to focus on the symbols. The style evokes the dreamlike trance art of the sorcerer Austin Osman Spare. On the other hand, a beautiful full-color version of this Tarot would be highly attractive and useful. The Golden Dawn did place a high degree of importance on the magical correspondences of color in the Tarot. Recommend pairing this Tarot with the mentioned works, along with "The Qabalistic Tarot Book" by Robert Wang, to fully comprehend the symbolic language of the cards.

My cards just came in, they look great. I like they’re so worth it & if you’re thinking about buying them then go for it. They’re thin but I think that’s just fine. Bendable and pretty easy to shuffle. Obviously don’t try to bend them to the point of no return they’re not indestructible. Lots of symbols and messages imprinted on the cards for more information. In the little booklet there’s more information, I find that just perfect. So far so good & I see nothing wrong with them other than the box but that’s minor and not a big deal what so ever.

Mazzo straordinario, ricchissimo di simboli e dettagli. Le illustrazioni in bianco e nero sono potenti e raffinatissime. Un’opera di altissimo livello, imprescindibile per ogni appassionato di tarocchi ed esoterismo.

Nicht bunt aber schön.

Muy bien.

Absolutely beautiful deck. Good quality paper stock, thick enough but not too heavy not glossy. The symbolism is truly beautiful and each card is full of meanings that takes a while to grasp as much as possible. Major arcana containing alchemic and kabbalistic references, plus tonnes of minor fine details that you can keep watching them with a magnifying glass and go WOW!. As far the minor arcana, the court cards are really great and the pip cards are too, this deck is in my opinion a sort of hybrid: in many sense similar to a Marseille deck but also has references to the RWS, Thoth tarot and Golden Dawn style. Personally I love this deck but it can take a while to understand due to the fact that is black and white. Very good deck. 5 stars indeed

beautiful deck omg ! came a WEEEEEW bit damaged (just the box! not the cards)