Thoth tarot deck
# Thoth tarot deck

The Thoth Tarot is an esoteric tarot deck painted by Lady Frieda Harris according to instructions from Aleister Crowley. Crowley referred to this deck as The Book of Thoth, and also wrote a 1944 book of that title intended for use with the deck.

## Background

Crowley originally intended the Thoth deck to be a six-month project aimed at updating the traditional pictorial symbolism of the tarot. However, due to increased scope, the project eventually spanned five years, between 1938 and 1943.

## Symbolism

The illustrations of the deck feature symbolism based upon Crowley's incorporation of imagery from many disparate disciplines, including science and philosophy and various occult systems (as described in detail in his The Book of Thoth).

## Differences from Rider–Waite tarot

### Order and names of trumps

Crowley renamed several of the trumps compared to earlier arrangements, and also re-arranged the numerical, astrological and Hebrew alphabet correspondences of 4 trumps compared to the Rider–Waite tarot deck in accordance with the Tarot of Marseilles, his 1904 book The Book of the Law (Liber AL vel Legis) and its "New Commentary." In the "New Commentary" and The Book of Thoth, Crowley demonstrates that his trump arrangement forms a double loop in the zodiac-number and letter-number correspondences compared to the Rider–Waite, where there is no loop. There are interpretations as to why the Thoth Tarot deck does not follow Crowley's new arrangement having only a letter-number double loop and one of them is that it follows the same Golden Dawn arrangement as the Rider–Waite deck.

   All these old letters of my Book are aright; but צ is not the Star.
   Tzaddi is the letter of The Emperor, the Trump IV, and He is the Star, the Trump XVII. Aquarius and Aries are therefore counterchanged, revolving on the pivot of Pisces, just as, in the Trumps VIII and XI, Leo and Libra do about Virgo. This last revelation makes our Tarot attributions sublimely, perfectly, flawlessly symmetrical.
   For The Star is referred to Aquarius in the Zodiac, and The Emperor to Aries. Now Aries and Aquarius are on each side of Pisces, just as Leo and Libra are on each side of Virgo; that is to say, the correction in the Book of the Law gives a perfect symmetry in the zodiacal attribution, just as if a loop were formed at one end of the ellipse to correspond exactly with the existing loop at the other end.

Crowley's double loop in the zodiac :

| Number | Sign | Letter | Name |
| - | - | - | - |
| IV | Aquarius | Tzaddi | The Emperor |
| VIII | Libra | Lamed | Adjustment |
| XI | Leo | Tet | Lust |
| XVII | Aries | Heh | The Star |
| Rider–Waite card | Thoth equivalent |
| I: The Magician | I: The Magus |
| II: The High Priestess | II: The Priestess |
| VIII: Strength | XI: Lust |
| X: Wheel of Fortune | X: Fortune |
| XI: Justice | VIII: Adjustment |
| XIV: Temperance | XIV: Art |
| XX: Judgement | XX: The Æon |
| XXI: The World | XXI: The Universe |

### Names of court cards

Crowley altered the names of all the court cards which can cause some confusion for people used to the more common decks. The typical corresponding names are as follows:

| Traditional Court Card Name | Thoth Deck Court Card Name |
| - | - |
| King | Knight |
| Queen | Queen |
| Knight | Prince |
| Page | Princess |

## Titles and attributions of the Minor Arcana

### Wands

| Number | Sign | Decan | Ruler of Decan | Name |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | | | | The Root of the Powers of Fire |
| 2 | Aries | 1st | Mars | Dominion |
| 3 | Aries | 2nd | Sun | Virtue |
| 4 | Aries | 3rd | Venus | Completion |
| 5 | Leo | 1st | Saturn | Strife |
| 6 | Leo | 2nd | Jupiter | Victory |
| 7 | Leo | 3rd | Mars | Valour |
| 8 | Sagittarius | 1st | Mercury | Swiftness |
| 9 | Sagittarius | 2nd | Moon | Strength |
| 10 | Sagittarius | 3rd | Saturn | Oppression |

### Cups

| Number | Sign | Decan | Ruler of Decan | Name |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | | | | The Root of the Powers of Water |
| 2 | Cancer | 1st | Venus | Love |
| 3 | Cancer | 2nd | Mercury | Abundance |
| 4 | Cancer | 3rd | Moon | Luxury |
| 5 | Scorpio | 1st | Mars | Disappointment |
| 6 | Scorpio | 2nd | Sun | Pleasure |
| 7 | Scorpio | 3rd | Venus | Debauch |
| 8 | Pisces | 1st | Saturn | Indolence |
| 9 | Pisces | 2nd | Jupiter | Happiness |
| 10 | Pisces | 3rd | Mars | Satiety |

### Swords

| Number | Sign | Decan | Ruler of Decan | Name |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | | | | The Root of the Powers of Air |
| 2 | Libra | 1st | Moon | Peace |
| 3 | Libra | 2nd | Saturn | Sorrow |
| 4 | Libra | 3rd | Jupiter | Truce |
| 5 | Aquarius | 1st | Venus | Defeat |
| 6 | Aquarius | 2nd | Mercury | Science |
| 7 | Aquarius | 3rd | Moon | Futility |
| 8 | Gemini | 1st | Jupiter | Interference |
| 9 | Gemini | 2nd | Mars | Cruelty |
| 10 | Gemini | 3rd | Sun | Ruin |

### Disks

| Number | Sign | Decan | Ruler of Decan | Name |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | | | | The Root of the Powers of Earth |
| 2 | Capricorn | 1st | Jupiter | Change |
| 3 | Capricorn | 2nd | Mars | Works |
| 4 | Capricorn | 3rd | Sun | Power |
| 5 | Taurus | 1st | Mercury | Worry |
| 6 | Taurus | 2nd | Moon | Success |
| 7 | Taurus | 3rd | Saturn | Failure |
| 8 | Virgo | 1st | Sun | Prudence |
| 9 | Virgo | 2nd | Venus | Gain |
| 10 | Virgo | 3rd | Mercury | Wealth |

## Conservation

Harris' renditions of the tarot are on watercolor paper affixed to a thick backing; the acidity of the backing, according to a report from 2006, resulted in discoloration of borders, and to some extent, the paintings themselves. The paintings also required cleaning and the repair of small tears. A conservation plan called for the cleaning surfaces, the removal of backing (while retaining original inscriptions), reuse of the hand-painted window mats, and replacement of overlays with acid-free, museum-quality paper. The project was completed in 2011. The paintings are owned by the Warburg Institute; work was completed by the Institute's in-house specialist, Susan Campion.

