non GD decks

[Guest]

Do you use decks that are not of the Golden Dawn heritage?

What are they?

 

I use the Egyptian Tarot by the Brotherhood of Light.

 

This deck is structurally built to the guidelines of the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor. The last surviving members of the Luxor chapter had someone in america take on their teachings, and this is that deck. The art for the major arcana was taken from a sort of mysterious Astrology book written in 1901 written by someone claiming to be Count saint Germain.

 

The hermetic brotherhood of Luxor and it's two or three sister chapters ironically(?) are the origins of the handful that would initiate the Golden Dawn itself but in the end Alister crowley would re-arrange his deck back to the structure of this deck with the exception of two flipped elements/suits.

 

 

[dancing_moon]

That's a very interesting deck, whatsawhosit! Was it difficult to learn?

 

I've noticed that quite a number of my decks aren't based on GD system, or the basis is very loose. Obviously, all historical/pre-GD decks, like TdMs and Etteilla, qualify. Egyptian Tarot's Majors are inspired by the same book that your deck is, and the Minors feature mostly suit symbols surrounded by Egyptian-themed images. Feng Shui Tarot is based on the four sacred animals, and the Majors are also China-inspired. Grail Tarot (Matthews) is constructed around Holy Grail and Knights Templar lore. Native American Tarot includes mostly objects, animals, beliefs, and traditions sacred to Native American people. Osho Zen Tarot is based on Osho's philosophy, and Tarot of 1001 Nights - on the book of the same name. :) Tarot of Fire is a collection of fire myths and deities around the world, and Universal Wirth has Wirth's Majors and Eudes Picard's Minors.

 

I use them all to a certain degree, and it's a real mind dessert to have such an array of different concepts and systems to play with. :) I guess this also outs me as a learning junkie. ;D

[Guest]

the brotherhood of light tarot is astrology based, if you know some astrology its an incredible and easy deck. The book those images are taken from has little relation to the deck. those images were based upon descriptions in this really neat book on magic by Paul Christensen (pen name), which is full of odd bits and pieces of stuff. All of the egyptian tarot cards major arcana is taken from that book, but the structure of the deck is Hermetic.

 

I do think for the few of us that collect cards we will have decks that are not GD.

 

I think the definition of tarot cards, in general, is too loose. Which sounds more like a new thread to me.

[EmpyreanKnight]

I have the Brotherhood of Light Egyptian Tarot too! AFAIK its companion book is Chapter 6 of The Sacred Tarot, also written by C. C. Zain. It is only a "chapter", but it is actually as voluminous as a real book with sub-chapters on its own. It might be available for free online. . .

[EmpyreanKnight]

Answering your original question - I have a lot of decks that do not follow the Golden Dawn system. There are the decks that predate it, of course, like the Tarots de Marseille that dancing_moon mentioned. There are also the ancient Italianate Tarot decks like the gold-foiled Lo Scarabeo Visconti Tarots, the Tarocchi Sola Busca and the Tarocchino Mitelli, the Minchiate revision by Brian Williams, etc.

 

I also have the Gran Taro Esoterico that follow the Eudes Picard system. Some decks seem to follow the RWS offshoot of the GD but actually have its own independent and unique system like the Mary-El and the Chrysalis. I also have the Osho Zen that dancing_moon mentioned. I know that I have other non-GD decks, I'd just check my collection later.

[Guest]

The Sacred Tarot, is the sixth book of 21 in a series of hermetic writings. It is a really really good book that I can't recommend enough. It is about 400 pages. It is an old one, written in the 1930's, so there is a passage here and there that is antiquated. I have managed to find 3 copies and a 1936 set of their cards  :P over the years at garage sales and on craigslist.

 

Do you use any of these decks as your regular working deck? Collectors will collect...I have a pile of decks but I just use one or two. 

 

 

[EmpyreanKnight]

Out of my entire collection, my regular workhorses are the Thoth and the Smith-Waite Centennial/Original Rider-Waite. Especially if I have an important personal question, these are the decks I usually reach out for. Next is the Barbara Walker. Among Tarot decks, I'm currently studying the Sol Invictus: The God Tarot and the Renaissance Tarot. I also use a few of my other decks like the Vargo Gothic, the Golden Dawn Magical, the Vampyres, etc. but not regularly.

 

You made me realize something with your question, whatsawhosit. I don't regularly work with any deck that is not based from the Golden Dawn or any of its offshoots, what some may call the English tradition/system of Tarot. I guess I must explore other systems sooner or later if I want to keep my intuitive muscles nimble.

[EmpyreanKnight]

I have to comment on your work space tho. Your books are topnotch, whatsawhosit! You're really serious when it comes to your Tarot studies, aren't you?

 

Also, I can see that your BOL Egyptian Tarot is a much older, more expensive edition. :o Mine is the current colored release while yours is black and white.

[Guest]

Out of my entire collection, my regular workhorses are the Thoth and the Smith-Waite Centennial/Original Rider-Waite. Especially if I have an important personal question, these are the decks I usually reach out for. Next is the Barbara Walker. Among Tarot decks, I'm currently studying the Sol Invictus: The God Tarot and the Renaissance Tarot. I also use a few of my other decks like the Vargo Gothic, the Golden Dawn Magical, the Vampyres, etc. but not regularly.

 

You made me realize something with your question, whatsawhosit. I don't regularly work with any deck that is not based from the Golden Dawn or any of its offshoots, what some may call the English tradition/system of Tarot. I guess I must explore other systems sooner or later if I want to keep my intuitive muscles nimble.

 

there is far more to this than meets the eye.

 

if I may make a suggestion. Go traditional don't experiment with a new creation. and make the decision based on what you know or want to learn. For example, the Brotherhood of Lightdeck and the Etteilla decks are of the egyptian mode of the Major arcana, but BOFL (brotherhood of light) is heavy on astrology while the Etteilla is heavy on alchemy in the minors.

 

Also, I can see that your BOL Egyptian Tarot is a much older, more expensive edition. :o Mine is the current colored release while yours is black and white.

 

thx. I just retired the color deck. I have to be very careful with those cards..they are not for shuffling I am afraid.

 

 

[EmpyreanKnight]

In time, I'd eventually try to learn the Marseille or some of the Continental systems like the Etteilla. I will keep that in mind, whatsawhosit. :)

[EmpyreanKnight]

I was looking over the BOL Egyptian Tarot recently and I can feel its power. From those who've used it extensively I've heard nothing but accolades, and I'm not surprised. I know that it is a winner, and it is only a matter of time before I bunker up and delve into its system, which as esoteric as it is is very different from the Golden Dawn. After I've communed with the Thoth and the RWS, this deck will take center stage. :)

[Guest]

 

 

What I find extremely interesting is the blend of influences that are contrary in the average usage of a deck of tarot cards. Which leaves me often with the sense that the person is guessing. We call guessing intuition. the reason this guessing takes place is that the systems being blended do not combine so the answer is convoluted. A foundation in one single system has to be obtained to take advantage of a deck of cards.

 

By blending systems that do not combine I mean something like Thoth  deck being based around traditional christian astrology does not coincide with the system that the typical everyday tarot practitioner uses. Most people use the modern astrology when they interpret things so they are going to naturally, wittingly or unwittingly, not be leveraging that deck for all that it is worth...unless they go to the great lengths of learning predictive horary astrology of the 1400-1850 time and of course if you don't study Kabahla they are just really pretty pictures leaving you in a sense of awe filled with hunches and feelings triggered by all these archetypes being displayed.

 

The BOFL deck uses the astrological system in place that we all kind of just know because it is part of our current society. The deck quickly becomes a fluid extension of the systems you are already armed with. Hard to find a person that doesn't know the current Zodiac and planetary system. Having some old TdM or alchemical deck is amazing but gosh you have to be an amature historian to really use those cards for some soul searching...

 

I think it is testament to their Art that a deck like the RWS and Thoth are so well made they work great when they are used for the wrong things in the wrong ways. The are so many layers resonating in these two decks the Fool even finds meaning in them. The BOFL deck seems to fall flat there in the minors,but it doesn't if you learn your constellations. It is a rather traditional deck with a paint job, it is a tool, not an epic engaging work of Modern Art.

 

[Scandinavianhermit]

I appreciate Oswald Wirth's original trumps from 1889. I also use marseilles-decks, CBD Tarot in particular. If I ever find affordable editions of Knapp-Hall Tarot and Lasenic Tarot, I will buy those.

[Misterei]

23 minutes ago, Scandinavianhermit said:

I appreciate Oswald Wirth's original trumps from 1889. I also use marseilles-decks, CBD Tarot in particular. If I ever find affordable editions of Knapp-Hall Tarot and Lasenic Tarot, I will buy those.

I have the Lo Scarabeo version of Wirth's deck and it reads very well for me.

I also have Lasenic ... but more for historical collection ... it's difficult for me to read with Coins being air and swords earth. Maybe I'll undertake it as a challenge some day };>